Raise Your Voice
by Poo2110
Summary: Bella Swan, is stricken by tragedy, after she is accepted at a summer music program in Seattle. Will she still decide to go even though she lost faith in herself? Can she overcome her fears and show everyone the talent she has? All human, normal pairings.
1. Chapter 1

**OK guys, this is my new story. It's based off of the movie 'Raise Your Voice'. I don't know how many of you have seen it. For the summary, look at my profile page. So, read and review, please !!!**

Chapter 1

BPOV

5, 4, 3, 2, 1.

Cheers erupted from all around me. I couldn't help myself. I cheered, too. School was finally out for the summer. We all got up from our seats and swarmed out the door. It was like this constant flow of people, and I was just being pushed along with everyone else. I made it out of the school in one piece.

"Oh my god, Bella. School is finally out!" My best friend, Kayla, shouted in my ear.

"I think I just became permanently deaf," I grinned dramatically. She slapped my arm playfully. "What are your plans for the summer?"

"Well," she bit her lip thoughtfully, "My whole family is going to the Caribbean." She dropped the calm façade and started jumping up and down. "It's going to be so much fun!" I giggled. Kayla was always extreme; it was always extreme happiness, sadness, anger, or excitement. She was an interesting person to be around.

"Hello, girls," A suave voice behind me said. I didn't need to turn around to know who it was. I spun around and squealed and threw my arms around him.

"Jason!" He was about 2 feet taller than me. He picked me up and twirled me around. I kissed him on the cheek. "You're home early from college."

"I wouldn't miss this for the world." He smiled. "Hey, beautiful," He said to Kayla. Kayla was used to my brother's antics by now, so she would just play along with him.

"Hey," she linked her arms with his. "What's new?" I tuned out their nonsensical banter and enjoyed the warmth of the summer day. Even the weather was reflecting everyone's mood. We finally reached Kayla's car. She offered me a ride, but Jason intervened.

"Hold on a minute," He interrupted, outraged. "I think I'm capable of taking home my baby sister."

"I'm not a baby," I protested. He just rolled his eyes.

"Bye, Kayla," I said, "See you in the fall." She waved at me and she pulled out of the parking spot.

"So," I turned to him, arms crossed.

"What?" he asked innocently. "You won't believe it if I tell you. I have the best news." I waited for him to continue. "OK, I'll give you a hint. Who's our all-time favorite band?"

"Maroon 5," I said, stating the obvious. He grinned so wide, it looked like his face would tear.

"Well, I got tickets to their live concert tonight!" He exclaimed, clearly excited. I gasped and started hyperventilating. He looked unsure. "Are you ok?"

"Are you kidding me," I laughed. "This is the best thing I could ever get from you. You're the best!"

"I know," he faked arrogance. "But it's nice to hear it time to time." I scoffed. "Come on," He pulled me by the arm. "Let's go home. Mom and dad already know, of course, but they must be waiting to see us." We both got into his pick-up. He put in a CD and the song 'She Will Be Loved' started playing. We both sang along at the top of our lungs.

"I really hope they sing this song," I commented. It was one of my favorite songs by them.

"Me, too. Although, I hope they play that other song. What's it called, again...? Oh, yeah, 'I Won't Go Home Without You'… You know the one from their new album." He said. I agreed with him. We pulled into the driveway. Mom and dad were waiting out on the lawn in garden chairs. They both hugged me

"Hey, sweetie, how was your last day of school?" Renee asked me. She had dark brown, shoulder length hair and brown eyes. I looked a lot like her, except that I was younger. My dad, Charlie, on the other hand was a tall man, with a receding hairline, and had a strict air about him.

"It was fun," I replied. "Any mail for me?" Charlie looked at me through narrow eyes.

"If this is about that music program, again?" He asked sardonically. "I've already made my views on this topic clear. I don't think you're ready to go for this."

"Dad," Jason said. "Bella is very talented and this is a great opportunity for her. She deserves to go."

"Jason," Charlie said in his 'warning' tone.

"Why can't you let her live her life?" Jason's voice started to rise. Renee and I looked on helplessly.

"She's too young," Charlie protested.

"You want to know the real reason, dad?" Jason said in a hard voice. "You're just bitter than you haven't had chance to leave this small town and me and Bella might actually have a chance. That's why you use every opportunity you get to discourage us."

"That's enough." Charlie's face because slightly red. "Jason, you're grounded. Bella, go up to your room. I don't want to hear any more on this. You are not going to this summer music program, whether or not you get accepted. That's the final verdict." Tears filled my eyes, and I stomped up to my room. I heard Jason slam his door, as well. I plunked down on my bed and sighed. Couldn't we have _one _discussion in this house without an argument? And if I got into this music program… Music was my life. It was a superb chance for me, but dad had to go and rain on my parade. I had sent in a CD of my recorded songs a few months ago. I was yet to receive a reply from them.

I whiled away the rest of the day in my room. I spent some time on my computer, and listened to music for a bit, too. I sat up in horror as I realized something. Jason was grounded. And today was the Maroon 5 concert. I glanced up at the time. If we wanted to go, we would have to leave in about ten minutes. A sharp knock on my window startled me. I opened the door and stepped out onto my balcony. Jason was dressed and ready to go, holding two tickets in his hand.

"Ready?" He inquired. I told him I would be out in a minute. I wore a pair of skinny jeans and a red tank top. I put on my converse and applied some light pink lip gloss. I opened my balcony door again, but this time, I closed it behind me.

"Yes, I'm ready." We climbed down the vines on the side of my balcony, hoping to not be seen. We saw our aunt Elizabeth, who we called Lizzie, sitting on our parents' balcony. She was pretty supportive of our late night sneak outs. She waved at us. We pushed the car until we turned the corner. Then, we got in, revved the engine and went to the stadium where the concert was being held.

Once we got there, Jason gave the security guard our tickets. The attendant led us to our places… front row seats?

"You got us front row seat?" I asked, stunned.

"Only for you, sis," he kissed my forehead.

"I love you, Jason," I hugged him. "You're the sweetest brother anyone could ever have. And I'm really glad you're mine."

"OK, now let's get this show started!" He said enthusiastically. We sat down, and waited. When the band came on stage, the crowd went wild. I screamed at the top of my lungs. We sang along to every song. By the last song, the crowd was out of their seats. We were standing right in front of them. Jason lifted me onto his shoulders so I could reach out and touch the singer's hands. I was so happy.

_I know where you hide  
Alone in your car  
Know all of the things that make you who you are  
I know that goodbye means nothing at all  
Comes back and begs me to catch her every time she falls_

He sang into the microphone. I sang loud enough that I think he heard me. He leaned over towards me and held the microphone near my mouth.

_Tap on my window knock on my door  
I want to make you feel beautiful_

I don't mind spending everyday  
Out on your corner in the pouring rain  
Look for the girl with the broken smile  
Ask her if she wants to stay awhile  
And she will be loved  
And she will be loved  
And she will be loved  
And she will be loved

We both sang those lines together. It was the best moment of my life. When the concert finally ended, I was too exuberant to think of anything else. Jason led me to the car, and turned on the radio.

"Thanks you, so much," I said softly to him.

"It was special," he agreed.

"I'll never forget it." I said, smiling.

"Promise me that you will go for the summer music program." He said seriously. "The proudest person, when you perform on stage, will be me." I nodded, tears in my eyes. He was the most caring person I knew. A sudden, bright light from Jason's side blinded me. He jerked the steering wheel to the right.

"Jason!" I screamed. The last thing I remembered was seeing his worried face in the middle of the blinding light.

**Liked it? Please tell me how it was!!! Also, check my profile for my other stories which I'm working on. So, please review !!!**


	2. Chapter 2

**HEY GUYS !!! Here's the next chapter. Sorry i took so long to update, but anyway, hope you like it.**

Chapter 2

BPOV

I don't know how long I was unconscious, but when I finally regained consciousness, I was aware of a dull ache in my head and throughout my whole body. I opened my eyes to a stark-white room. Fluorescent lights shined from the ceiling, and the door was slightly open. I'm in a hospital, I realized. I tried to sit up, but there were a dozen tubes and needles sticking into me. Ugh. IVs. I turned my head slowly. Renee was sitting next to my bed with a dull expression on her face.

"Mom?" my voice came out all croaky. She whipped around and saw me. She started to cry. "Mom, don't cry," I pleaded.

"I thought… the doctors didn't know… you didn't even…" She blubbered incoherently.

"Mom, where is Jason?" I asked weakly. I needed to know that he was ok. That was all that mattered to me. She began to sob even more.

"Mom, where is he?" I asked, slightly hysteric now.

"I'm sorry, honey, he… he didn't make it…" She whispered between tears. I felt my whole world shatter. Jason didn't make it out of the accident. Jason didn't make it out of the accident. Jason didn't make it out of the accident. It felt like the same sentence was echoing throughout my head, again and again and again.

"No…" I gasped. My breaths were coming out in short gasps now, and I felt tears fill my eyes again. "Mom, please tell me he's ok." I begged.

"I'm so sorry, Bella," she began to cry harder. I collapsed onto the bed and started to cry again. Jason was… I couldn't even bring myself to think of the word. Just then, there was a sharp rap on the door. I didn't bother to see who it was. I was too distraught.

"Ms. Swan," a professional voice said, "Are you feeling better now?"

"No," I choked. I turned to look at him. He was a middle aged man, in a long white coat, a stethoscope slung over his shoulder.

"Are you ready to have a check up? We weren't sure if you were well enough to…" he trailed off. I nodded weakly. The sooner I got out of this depressing hospital, the better. He called the nurse from the other room, and she took out all the wires. She asked me whether I needed assistance in walking to the check-up room.

"No, thank you," I said as politely as I could. Renee gave me a hug as soon as I stood up. I sensed that she needed it more than me at the moment. Sure, I knew that Jason was…gone… but I hadn't accepted it yet. Some part of my mind still argued that he was ok. I couldn't give up hope. Renee held me close to her as we walked through the quiet halls of the hospital.

"Are you sure about this, honey?" She asked me tentatively. And I was. I didn't know how long it would take me to move on in my life, or whether I would even be able to, but this seemed like a good start. A part of me didn't want to move on, didn't want to let go. After what seemed like forever, the nurse turned into a small room with a few chairs, arranged in a circle. We followed her in and sat on the chairs. The doctor came in a few minutes later with a clipboard, Charlie at his heels.

"Bella," Charlie's voice was rough with tension, "Are you alright? You don't have to do this, if you're not up to it."

"I have to do this, dad," I said quietly. I turned to the doctor, who had been silent all this time. He seated himself across from me.

"OK, Ms. Swan," he began.

"It's Bella," I intervened. He looked at me appraisingly.

"OK, Bella," he corrected himself, "I want to ask you a few general questions and just check your vital stats. That's all, ok? Do you think you can do that?" I nodded lightly.

"OK, first question. What month is it?" He looked me in the eye.

"Excuse me, doctor, how is this even relevant to the check-up?" Charlie interjected.

"Dad," I murmured. He looked at me. "It's ok."

"It's June." I replied. He checked something on his clipboard.

"June, it is." He said. He asked me a few more questions, which I answered, and he looked satisfied, because he didn't press it further. "OK, I just want to check your eyes and ears, ok? He took out a small pocket flashlight, and turned it on. First he checked me ears and then dragged his chair directly in front of me to check my eyes.

It seemed like the following few seconds happened in slow motion. He brought the flashlight up to my eyes. It blinded me, overwhelming me with memories of the accident. I heard the collision of the two vehicles. I saw my brother's face in the light. I screamed at the familiarity of the feeling. The light was gone immediately and Charlie and Renee were at my side at once.

"What the hell are you doing?" Charlie demanded, glaring at the doctor. I was hyperventilating now, and Renee wrapped her arms around me, trying to soothe me.

"I told you that we needed to check her vital stats!" the doctor argued.

"By putting her through the pain all over again?" Charlie shouted. He stood up abruptly, and pulled me, too. "Look, I think that Bella's fine now. She just needs to get out of this damn hospital." The doctor pondered for a moment, and then sighed.

"Fine." He said finally. "If that's what you really want." He signed something on the clipboard and stood up. He told the nurse to gather all my stuff and told us it would be sent to our house. We left the hospital a few minutes later after completing the formalities at the reception.

A FEW DAYS LATER…

I didn't eat properly, I didn't talk much to anyone. I felt like I was all alone. A couple of days after I had gotten back from the hospital, Renee had hesitantly brought up the subject of Jason's funeral.

"He would've wanted us to say goodbye," she had choked on the last word. I looked down at my plate, where my food was still untouched. "What do you all think?" she asked me and Charlie.

"I think it would be it best," I said quietly. Charlie mumbled something in agreement. I swallowed. My heart started to beat faster. So, after that night, preparations for a funeral began. My mom called all our relatives and close friends. They were all shocked to hear about his… passing away. The next day, as I woke up, late as usual, I heard someone crying in my brother's room. I walked silently and peered in through the door. Renee was crying quietly, and putting away his belongings in a box. I saw her hold up a small silver chain, which sparkled in the sunlight. It was his most prized possession. His favorite necklace, which he had promised to give me one day. I walked into the room, and wrapped my arms around Renee.

"Mom," I sniffled, holding back the tears. I had to make myself strong. Jason wouldn't have wanted me to break down.

"It's just so hard, Bella, to say goodbye," Renee said sadly.

"I know," I whispered, and hugged her tightly. That was a few days ago. Today was the day I had been dreading. The funeral. I took a shower quickly and stood in front of my closet, my towel wrapped around me. What would be an appropriate dress to wear? I settled for my black knee-length dress which Jason had once complimented me on. Steadying myself, I proceeded downstairs. Renee and Charlie were already ready.

"Shall we go?" Charlie broke the silence.

*

*

*

*

*  
*

The funeral was like any other, but yet, as I watched the coffin being slowly lowered into the grave, I felt s strange sense of dissatisfaction. Maybe it was knowing that I would never hear his voice again, never see him smile. I would never feel his warm arms embrace me, never sneak out with him again. It was my fault that he was gone, my fault that he now lay unmoving in the coffin. My fault.

And I decided then and there, that I would never forgive myself.

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	3. Chapter 3

**I'm SO sorry that I haven't update in forever. But my finals just finished today, so I'm a LOT less busy and I can update more now. So I hope you guys like this chapter. I promise I'll try to update in a couple of days. **

Chapter 3

The next few days were very depressing, the weather seemed to reflect our mood. They were very gloomy, dull days. One day, my mom called me into her room. Lizzie was sitting on the bed, and Renee was pacing near the window.

"Did you call me, mom?" I asked. She stopped pacing and turned and looked at me.

"This came in the mail today," She handed me a large white envelope. I looked at the sender's address. It said 'Seattle School of Performing Arts'.

"I don't want to go," I stated blandly, not even bothering to open it.

"Open, it, at least," Lizzie urged. I opened the envelope with trembling fingers. The letter read:

_Dear Ms. Swan,_

_We are pleased to let you know that you have been accepted at the Seattle School of Performing Arts. Attached to this letter, you will find a list of materials that you will require during your stay at our academy. You should be registered and settled before the June 15__th__, 2009. We hope you find your stay with us satisfying, and enjoyable._

_Regards,_

_Mrs. Joanna Hunter_

I gasped and dropped the letter. I was accepted. I got into the school of my dreams. There was only one problem. I didn't believe in dreams anymore.

"I can't do it," I whispered.

"But, honey," Renee looked shocked. "You got in. It's what you've always dreamed of. And," she hesitated. "Jason would've wanted you to go, at any cost."

"I just feel like I'm betraying him. He's dead," I choked. "How can I go and enjoy myself?" A tear rolled down my face. "And let's say I do have the courage to go. You know that dad would never let me."

"Don't worry about your dad," Lizzie said. "I can handle him. Anyway, just tell him that you're going to come and spend the summer with me. He can't object to you spending time with your aunt."

"That's true, but…" I trailed off.

"No way," Lizzie interjected. "I can't take no for an answer. You are talented singer, who deserves the chance to show everyone how good she is. You are not going to waste this opportunity." Tears filled my eyes. I was touched at how much faith she had in me.

"OK," I agreed. I just hoped that I wouldn't regret it. Later that night at dinner, Lizzie brought up the subject delicately, maneuvering it in such a way that Charlie agreed to let me go to her house for the summer.

"She needs to get away from here, Charlie," Lizzie had reasoned. When Charlie finally agreed, I felt a tiny ray of hope shine through the dark clouds that seemed to dampen my life, lately. Maybe there was a chance that I could actually enjoy myself. True, I would always think about Jason, but life goes on, right? I know he's watching me, and I don't want him to see that I'm unhappy. I need to smile… for him. So the next day, I started to pack all my clothes and belongings. Renee came and helped me a few times, but I preferred to do it alone. Alone with my thoughts. I seriously needed to get a life, I mused, I was alone with my thoughts too often. I'm going to go crazy. We were going to take a taxi to Seattle that evening. Charlie had a melancholy expression on his face when he was saying bye to me.

"I'll be fine," I assured him when I hugged him goodbye. "Don't worry about me." After a few more tearful byes from Renee, we finally set off. It was almost midnight when we reached.

"I'm going to drop you off at the SSPA, ok? I know that they'll be open, because students come at all times of the day. She came with me when I went to get registered, but dropped me off outside the dorm. I pulled my suitcase up the steps. When I got up to the top, I tried to pull open the door, but it was locked. I groaned in frustration. I knocked on the door and when nobody came to open it, I started to bang on the door. A tall, bronze haired guy came into view, walking out of one of the corridors. He opened the door and stuck his head out.

"Sorry, we're full." And with that, he closed the door and locked it again. I stared in disbelief and then started to bang on the door again. He turned around and opened the door.

"Are you going to make a habit out of this?" I stared blankly at him, shocked.

"OK listen," I tried to reason with him. "It's late, and I'm tired, so could you just let me in?" He smiled slightly. "Look, I think we got off on the wrong foot. I'm Bella." I put down my suitcase and held out my hand.

"Edward," He took my hand firmly in his. "Let's get all your stuff inside. I was just kidding." We walked inside side by side. A tall girl with blonde hair walked towards us.

"Edward, I was looking for you," she said. Her voice was melodic. She would have been pretty, but her eye makeup and lipstick were too heavy, and I thought she was desperate or something.

"Oh," she said seeing me. "Who are you?" So much for subtlety, I thought grimly. Without waiting for me to continue, she started to talk to Edward.

"Hi, I'm Bella," I interrupted. "It's nice to meet you, too. I didn't know that here in Seattle, you ignore people when you first meet them. I always thought that that was impolite. I guess they have different trends here. Well, Edward, thanks for your help. I'll see you later." Without saying bye to the other girl, I started to walk away. After I had walked about a few feet, I turned back and watched them walk away together. The girl wrapped her arm around Edward's waist. He pushed her arm off. It was easy to tell that the girl liked him. Apparently, Edward didn't feel the same. I sighed, and gave up trying to decipher their relationship. I found my room and turned the key. I tried to creep into the room quietly, but when I stepped in, a short girl with a baseball bat who was about to smash my skull, and a tall girl with stick screamed. I screamed, too. I hastily turned on the light.

"What the hell?" I screamed hysterically. The two girls sighed in relief. They looked me over once and looked at my suitcase.

"Hey, are you Isabella?" The tall, blonde one asked.

"It's Bella." I corrected her. "Why were you guys going to kill me? I'm your new roommate."

"Cool, we've been waiting for you to get here. I know we're going to be really good friends." The short girl said. And the thing that freaked me out was that she actually believe what she said.

"How could you know that?" I asked.

"Don't bet against Alice," the blonde one said simply. "Oh, I'm so sorry. I'm Rosalie Hale."

"And I'm Alice Cullen." Alice piped in.

"Wait," I paused, racking my brain for where I had heard that name before. "Oh, are you related to Edward Cullen?"

"Yeah, he's my brother." She replied. "When did you meet him?"

"Just now, he helped me with my suitcase." I said, watching her expression. Alice didn't say anything, and I couldn't make out anything from her expression.

"Well, why don't we talk more in the morning? I'm really tired and want to get some sleep." I said, sighing. Alice and Rosalie agreed and I collapsed onto the bed, not bothering to change into my pajamas. I was asleep as soon as my eyes closed. I had a dreamless sleep that night.

**PLEASE PLEASE review. I know you're all mad at me for not updating, but I would really love it if I got a lot of reviews!!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey everyone, I know that I'm updating after a very, very long time. But I have had a really busy year. And now I'm done with school!! Anyway, I hope you like this chapter!**

The next morning, I was awoken by someone shaking me the by the shoulders. I groaned and turned over, covering my head with my pillow.

"Wake up!" A cheerful voice chirped in my ear. Ugh, who could be this happy in the morning? Forget morning, I was barely even happy during the day. I sat up and stretched my arms over my head. With a jolt, I realised where I was and sadness coursed through me, as I remembered Jason again.

"Good morning!" I looked up and saw Rosalie in jeans and a white long-sleeved top.

"Hi," I mumbled. For once, I didn't have a headache. For once, I hadn't cried myself to sleep. It was probably because I had been too tired to stay awake; but whatever it was, I was grateful that I could start off my first day on a positive note.

"You should probably get ready quickly," Rosalie suggested. "We're supposed to assemble in the cafeteria at 8:00. And it's already 7:45, so you'd better hurry." She smiled kindly at me, and then left me alone to get ready after I told her to head out and I would find the cafeteria myself.

I looked through my suitcase, wondering what I should wear for my very first day. I finally chose a white polo t-shirt and dark wash jeans. I combed my hair out of my face and tied it in a simple ponytail. Dissatisfied, I pulled out the hair band, and pulled my hair down. It looked better this way. I grabbed the dorm key and locked up and started towards the canteen. OK, so where I was going, I had no idea, but some helpful directions from people on the way helped me reach the cafeteria with minutes to spare.

"Hey, Bella! Over here!" I heard Alice's shrill voice call out to me. I searched through the crowd, looking for her and saw her and Rosalie sitting at a table with Edward and two other guys. I noticed that the blonde girl wasn't with him today. Pushing through the people who were still deciding where to sit, I sat down at their table and smiled at everyone.

"Hey, I'm Emmett Cullen, Edward's and Alice's brother." The large guy with curly brown hair stuck out his hand for me to shake. When I shook his hand, I could feel his firm grip, and winced from the pressure he was exerting on my hand.

"Emmett, I think you're hurting her," Edward pointed out, smiling slightly. Emmett abruptly let go of my hand and apologized.

"I'm Jasper Hale, Rosalie's brother," the blonde guy smiled at me. He seemed very serene and calm.

"Hey," I greeted them shyly. "Hi, Edward."

"Hey," he smiled at me. "So, you're roommates with the girls?" I just nodded.

"How do you like their style of waking people up in the morning?" he asked, amused. I laughed. It was as if he was reading my mind. As it was, I didn't like being woken up so early, but they were so cheerful at that ungodly hour, it didn't fail to amuse me. I didn't fail to notice how perfect Edward looked. His tousled, bronze hair fell over his eyes. I could faintly see a well toned body beneath his sweater. Stop it, I scolded myself. I decided to distract myself by talking to everyone else.

"It was… different. So what are we doing today?" I asked, looking around the table at everyone.

"Well," Alice said. "It's sort of like an orientation, and there are a lot of activities through which you can meet the people who you're going to be spending the rest of the summer with. So what's your story? How did you come here? Edward and I were here last year as well. I mean, if you want, Rose can share her story first, but I thought you would be ok with it." She looked expectantly at me. I stiffened involuntarily.

"I'm sorry. I don't feel comfortable telling you that." My words were cold and icy. Alice flinched at the change in my voice, and I could see the hurt in her eyes. I immediately felt guilty; she was only trying to be nice.

I could see everyone looking at everyone else through the corner of my eye. I could tell that my words had pricked their curiosity, and they were wondering what my story was, but I was in no mood to tell anyone.

"Umm, ok… So what's your favourite band?" Alice tried again. "There must be some band or singer who inspires you to sing." I closed my eyes in frustration. Why couldn't she let it drop?

"Alice," I snapped, banging my fist on the table. My eyes were closed, my head bent down. "Please." The whole table was silent for what seemed like an eternity.

"Umm, who wants to come with me to get more bacon?" Emmett asked. I sighed in relief as everybody except Edward volunteered.

"So," I said conversationally. "Don't you also want more bacon? Everybody seems to want it."

"I don't want more bacon." Edward said, looking into my eyes, as though searching for something. He leaned forward.

"Then, what do you want?" I raised my eyebrow. Just then, Rosalie banged her tray onto the table, causing Edward and me to both jump out of our seats.

"Geez, what's wrong, Rose?" Edward asked in annoyance.

"Nothing out of the ordinary," Rosalie said airily. "Just that stupid girl, Tanya. She started bragging about the 'date' you and she had last night."

"What date?" Edward shouted. "I did not go on any date last night, and she would be the last person that I would ever ask. Why can't she understand that what happened last summer was just a fling? I wasn't thinking properly, but it's over now. I'm not going to repeat that mistake." I just stared at him in shock, as did the rest of the people at our table, because we had never seen Edward lose his temper like this. Well, I guess I couldn't really say that, since I had only met him last night, but from my judgement of him, he didn't seem like the type who lost their temper very easily.

"Relax, Edward," Jasper said, his eyebrows raised. "We cleare0d her misunderstandings." He smirked. "Although, she didn't seem too happy when we told her to get the hell out of your life. She'll learn, even if it is the hard way."

As soon as all of us were finished eating, we headed our separate ways for orientation. I checked the list of names to see which room I had to go to first, and discovered that it was Room 12A.

"Hey, which room are you in?" Edward asked me.

"12A," I answered. "What about you?"

"Me, too. Why don't we walk there together?"

"Oh, um, ok." I agreed. It was a little awkward, and I wasn't sure how to break the ice, so I was relieved when Edward started the conversation as we walked towards 12A.

"So, where are you from?' He asked me.

"Well, I'm from this small town, Forks, which I think is about 5 hours from here." I said.

"Oh, ok," He said. Edward glanced at me quickly and then looked away, as though contemplating something. "Would you be offended if I asked you a question?"

"What kind of question?" I asked hesitantly.

"Well…" He trailed off, unsure of whether to continue.

"Just ask me, Edward." I said, impatiently.

"OK, fine," He held his hands up in surrender. "Well, it's about what happened at breakfast this morning." He looked apologetic. I stiffened involuntarily. I could sense that he was carefully examining my expression and my reaction to his question.

"That's not a question," I said. Edward raised his eyebrows. "Oh, look." I said with mock surprise. "We've reached our destination." Edward gave me a look which I knew meant 'This is not over'. I sat down in the third row and kept my bag on the desk in front of me. Edward, surprisingly, slid into the chair next to me and grinned. I smiled back slightly and turned to the front of the room, where a woman with brown hair was waiting patiently. When the room was sufficiently full, she cleared her throat.

"Welcome to all of you. My name is Kayla Skye. I am in charge of discipline here at SSPA. I assure you I will not take much of your time, but I would like all of you to know that discipline is taken very seriously here. So please, do not give us any reason to penalize you. A list of rules can be found on the notice boards on every floor. Please go through them properly, and be thorough with them. I wish you all the best and hope you enjoy your summer here. Thank you!" She smiled tightly –friendly, but still only a slight smile- and left the room.

"Wow," I mused. "She seems strict."

"Don't worry," Edward whispered. "She gave us the exact same speech last year, word for word. She's really nice." I nodded at him.

"Why hello, Bella." The blonde haired girl from last night sat on the other side of me. "I'm sorry, but we haven't been introduced properly. I'm Tanya Denali."

"I'm Isabella Swan, but yeah, you can call me Bella." I shook her hand cautiously.

"Tanya," Edward said through gritted teeth. "What a pleasant surprise."

"Likewise," Tanya smiled at Edward.

"Ssh," I silenced them, as another man entered the room and tried to get everyone's attention. Edward rolled his eyes and crossed his arms in front of his chest and Tanya just smirked.

"Good morning everyone!" This man's voice was more friendly. "My name is Carlisle Cullen." I gaped at him in confusion, and then swivelled around to look at Edward. I was about to ask him my doubt, when he gave me a look that I understood to mean 'I'll tell you later'. I turned back to Carlisle Cullen and listened intently.

"Now, I'm not here to give you a lecture or anything," He continued. "I just want to give everyone their individual schedules based on their choice of subjects. When I call out your name, please come and take your package. Please keep these very safely, as extra copies will not be given out without a fine. And I'm sure you all have better things to spend your money on." He chuckled. He started calling out people in alphabetical order, and I sighed and slumped into my seat, knowing that there was a long way till the S's.

"You look just like him," I whispered in awe, to Edward.

"I hope I do," Edward chuckled. "He's my dad." I felt a blush creeping into my cheeks. Ok, so I should've seen that one coming. It was impossible to not see that.

"Right," I muttered. Edward went and collected his package when his name was called. He whispered something to Carlisle Cullen, who thought for a moment, and then nodded and browsed through the heap of envelopes. He pulled out one which was close to the bottom. Edward came back, grinning, with two brown envelopes in hand.

"Why do you have two?" I asked, confused.

"well," I sat down and leaned towards me. "One is yours." And he placed it on my lap. I was stunned. Edward got mine, too?

"You really didn't… I mean… That was totally unnecessary. I would've waited." I stammered, aware that Edward was gazing intently at me, waiting for my response, and I looked away.

"Don't be silly," Edward laughed. "Anyway, you want to get out of here?" I stole a quick glance at Tanya, who was scowling. Payback is a bitch, I thought smuggle. This surprised me; I was usually a non-revengeful person. Edward smiled at me, and I smiled tentatively at me. A slung my back over my shoulder and followed him out the door and into the corridor. This was going to be interesting.

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